‘MY SON WASN’T EVIL — HE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE’: MOTHER OF M9 CRASH VICTIM MAKES FRESH APOLOGY

KILDARE, IRELAND — The mother of 18-year-old Jeremy O’Brien, one of five teenagers killed in the devastating M9 wrong-way crash, has issued a fresh apology to the family who were seriously injured in the collision, saying the past month has been “the worst period” of her life.

Margaret Berry said she continues to struggle with the loss of her son and has been overwhelmed by the consequences of the crash, which happened on the M9 in County Kildare at around 3 a.m. on August 16.

Jeremy died alongside Joey Carthy, 15, Alex McCarthy, 17, Jack Kennedy, 17, and Kamil Pustkowski, 17, when the BMW they were travelling in collided head-on with another vehicle.

Four members of the other vehicle — sisters Ella Hendricken, Niamh Kinsella and Alma Kinsella, along with Alma’s seven-year-old son Yemi — were seriously injured.

‘I JUST WANTED THEM TO KNOW HOW SORRY I AM’

Speaking to The Irish Sun, Berry said she wanted the injured family’s relatives to know that she was deeply sorry for what happened.

She said local priest Father Tom Little had met with the Kinsella family on her behalf and passed on her apology.

“I just wanted to let that family know how sorry I am for this terrible tragedy,” Berry said.

She added that she would continue to pray for the family and expressed sympathy for what they have been forced to endure.

Father Little confirmed that he had spoken with the Kinsellas, saying Berry was genuinely remorseful.

The priest also condemned abusive messages directed at the grieving families following the crash.

‘MY SON MADE A CATASTROPHIC DECISION’

Berry said she accepted that her son had made a devastating decision that night, while insisting that she did not believe he was an evil person.

“My son made a catastrophic decision that night and the consequences have been devastating,” she said.

“My son wasn’t an evil person and he made a very, very stupid and terrible mistake.”

Berry said she would give anything to have Jeremy alive in hospital rather than visiting his grave.

She also urged young people to think carefully before getting behind the wheel and warned that a reckless decision can have consequences for multiple families.

MOTHER SAYS SHE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT BMW

Berry has also revealed a new detail about the BMW involved in the crash.

According to her account, Gardaí informed her last week that the vehicle had been purchased by Jeremy. Police believe the car may have been intended as a vehicle for the teenagers to use.

Berry said she had never seen the BMW and had no idea where her son had been keeping it.

She later received the vehicle’s logbook in the post.

“I never laid eyes on that car and I wish he had never bought it,” she said, adding that she would have told him to get rid of it had she known about the purchase.

The Irish Times previously reported that Gardaí were examining CCTV showing young males attempting to enter cars and houses in Athy in the hours before the crash. Investigators believed the BMW involved in the collision was the same vehicle seen in that footage.

FAMILY CONTINUES TO GRIEVE

Berry said the loss has left her family struggling to come to terms with what happened.

She described Jeremy as a typical teenager who did not tell his parents everything and said she wished she had known about the BMW.

She also spoke about the difficulty of facing Christmas without her son.

At the same time, she urged other young people not to repeat the decisions that led to the tragedy.

“Our lives have been completely destroyed and I wouldn’t want another family to experience the pain that we have endured,” she said.

FIOSRÚ SAYS GARDAÍ ACTED APPROPRIATELY

The latest development comes after Ireland’s police watchdog, Fiosrú, completed an independent examination of Garda actions before the crash.

The watchdog found that Gardaí had been following the BMW on the N78 in Athy for a short period before it entered the M9 travelling against the direction of traffic.

Fiosrú reviewed CCTV, radio transmissions and information from a forensic collision investigator. It concluded that Gardaí had acted in accordance with the law and relevant policies and procedures.

According to the investigation, permission had been given for the pursuit to continue, while other Garda units attempted to establish a suitable location to deploy a stopping device. The BMW subsequently made several U-turns before colliding with the oncoming vehicle.

The crash remains under Garda investigation.

Meanwhile, the injured Kinsella family have said they are continuing to recover and are “taking things one day at a time.” They thanked members of the public for the support, messages and donations they have received since the tragedy.

For the families of the five teenagers who died and those injured in the other vehicle, the consequences of the August 16 crash continue to unfold more than a month later.